IOC Chief Calls CAS Ruling 'Extremely Disappointing'

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach speaks at a news conference prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 4, 2018.

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IOC Chief Calls CAS Ruling 'Extremely Disappointing'

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PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA —

IOC President Thomas Bach has strongly criticized the midweek ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that lifted Olympic doping bans for 28 Russian athletes, calling it "extremely disappointing and surprising.''

"The IOC, we would never have expected this,'' Bach said Sunday in Pyeongchang, where the Winter Olympics start Friday. "We feel that this decision shows the urgent need for reforms in the internal structure of CAS.''

Bach said an independent panel, chaired by former French sports minister Valerie Fourneyron, would review and make a recommendation on Russian doping cases. He hopes a final decision will be made "in the next couple of days.''

The IOC has invited 169 Russians to compete in Pyeongchang as "Olympic Athletes from Russia'' under a neutral flag, but IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Saturday that his organization reserves the right to review and appeal the CAS decision.